Combination lock



A. A. M MILLAN COMBINATION LOCK June 20, 1950 Filed NOV. 13, 1945 ATTORNEY Patented June 20, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT O-FFI CE COMBINATION LOCK AndyA. MacMillamLos Angeles, Calif. Application November 13, 1945, Serial No. 628,095

1 Claim.

My invention relates to combination locks and it has for a purpose the provision of a combination lock characterized by its structural simplicity, low cost of manufacture, and easy mode of operation, all.to render it adaptable particularly, althoughnot necessarily, to safety boxes in which valuable papers, money and jewels are adapted to be stored.

It is also "a'purpose of my invention to provide acombination. lock .which embodies a plurality of locking units mounted on the box lid for independent-operation-manually to occupy predetermined positions in respecttoa common keep'er situated on the inner side-of the box, and by which the keeper is engaged to lock the box lid against opening, and other positions in which the keeper is disengaged to unlock the lid and permit opening of the box.

A furtherpurpose of my invention is the provisionof a: combination lock of the above described character, wherein each locking unit comprises a'rotatable latch member on the inner side of the box lid' and a. turnable dial on the outer side of the box lid by which the latch member can be manually moved to a keeper releasing position as determined by a prescribed dial numeral when brought into registry with a symbol located on the lid, thereby requiring that the dials for all of the locking units be positioned in a certain numerical combination to locate the releasing positions for all of the latch members, in order that such members may be caused to disengage the keeper to effect unlocking of the box lid.

I will describe only one form of combination lock embodying my invention, and one practical adaptation thereof, and will then point out the novel features thereof in a claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in top plan one form of combination lock embodying my invention as applied to a safety box, with a portion of the lid being broken away to show the hinge mountms for the lid.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional viewtakenonthelineS-S ofFig. 2.

Having specific reference to the drawings my invention in its present embodiment is shown applied to a box or receptacle of conventional construction, and which in the present instance, comprises a body l5, including a rear wall It upon which the rear edge of a lid H is mounted by means of a hinge l8 to occupy open and closed position with respect to the body, and in closed 2 position the forward edge of the lid is in engagement with the upper edge of the front wall is of the box. This box may be constructed of any suitable material such as. metal or plastic. and in its present use is adapted for the storing of legal papers, currency, and the like.

The combination lock embodying my invention comprises a keeper K which, in. the present instance, is inthe form of .a metalcr plastic bar secured at its lower edge-to the inner side of the front wall [9' by meansof rivets .20 arranged at intervals along the length of the bar. It will, of course, be understood. that any suitable means may be employed for securing the keeper bar to the front wall of thebox. The keeper bar. is bent transversely to provide an offset portion 2! in order to clear the front edgeof the lid I! when the latter is in closed position. Beyond the ofiset portion the bar extends upwardly where its upper edge is curved inwardly to form a lip 22 which may be made coextensive in length with the keeper bar.

The combination lock also includes a plurality of locking units mounted on the lid 11 and each of which is adapted to engage the lip 22 of the keeper bar K for locking the lid in closed position on the box. Each unit is designated generally at T and as the construction, mode of operation, an adiustment of the several units is identical 8. description of one unit will suflice for all.

The several locking units are arranged at intervals along the length of the lid I! at the points corresponding to bosses 23 formed on the under side of the lid adjacent its forward edge.

Each locking unit comprises a latch member 24 rotatively mounted at the lower side of the respective boss 23 by a dial 25 having a shank 26 rotatable in a suitable opening in the lid and boss and fixed to the latch member by means of a fastener 21, which, in the present instance, is in the form of a screw threaded into the shank 26. The dial 25 is d sposed to the upper or outer side of the lid for access by the operator, and provided on its upper face with an annular series of numenls 28 ranging in denomination from zero to 9.

latch member 24 is in the form of a disc of metal or other suitable material, with a segmental portion thereof removed to provide a straight edge 26a. Likewise, is the corresponding has: 22 cast to provide a straight edge 2311, but in so dslng a slightly raised portion 23b beyond the straight edge, remains. To accommodate this raised portion so as to permit complete closing of 3 the lid H, the keeper bar K is formed with a recess 29.

Each locking unit T may be moved to lock or release the lid through rotation of the dial 25. To lock the lid the dial is turned until the respective latch member 24 is in a locking position in which the peripheral portion of the member extends beneath the keeper bar lip 22. However, to release the lid the dial must be turned until the straight edge portion 24a is opposite the keeper bar and in which position the member is displaced from beneath the bar.

For visibly indicating the releasing position of any one latch member 24 for any one looking unit, the upper surface of the lid I! is provided with a locating symbol 30 which may be in the form of an arrow positioned adjacent the periphery of the respective dial 25. It is 'by means of this symbol operating in conjunction with a particular number 28 that the circumferential position of the dial corresponding to the releasing position of the latch member can be determined provided, of course, the particular .dial numeral is diametrically opposite the straight edge24a ispreviously known. For example, if the numeralfi'is opposite the straight edge when the latter is, adjacent and parallel to the keeper bar lip, the operator knows that the latch member is in releasing position and, hence, free ofthe latch bar. 7 If one desires to change the particulardial number necessary to locate thejreleasing position of the latch member, all that is required is to turn the dial and latch member relatively so that a different number is opposite the straight edge 24a. This can be readily accomplished by loosening the screw 21 to permit turning of the latch diskonthescrew. H ,7 When considering the, locking units collectively; it becomes manifest that the latch memberfl for all of the units must be individually turned to releasing position in respect 'to the common keeper bar K before the lid can be opened. Also, that by individual and circumferential adjustment of the latch members on the screws any desired numeral combination can be selected to 4 which the dials have to be individuall turned in relation to the locating symbols, to effect release of the lid. Manifestly, this gives virtually unlimited number combinations.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of combination lock embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention, and the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a combination lock for locking two members together wherein one of said members is formed with a series of apertured bosses on one side thereof, a plurality of lock units mounted on said one member andcorresponding in number to said bosses, each lock unit including a shaft mounted to rotate in one of said bosses, a dial fixed to one end of said shaft on the side of said one member opposite said bosses, a disk having a straight edge out out portion fixedeto the shaft on the other side of said one member, and an elongated keeper bar secured along one longitudinal edge thereof to the. other. of said members, said keeper bar having a curved lip portion along its other longitudinal margin over which said disk is adapted to extend except at the straight edge out out portion thereof, said curved lip portion having recesses therein adapted to receive a portion of said bosses.

. ANDY A. MACMILLAN.

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

